When humans eventually set foot on Mars, they’ll face a medical challenge that rarely needs to be thought about on Earth - TIME. A radio signal between Earth and Mars can take 4 to 24 minutes to travel one way. That means if an astronaut sends a question to Mission Control, it could be more than 40 minutes before they receive a reply, which in an emergency situation is far too long to wait.
To close this gap, NASA and Google are working together on something called the Crew Medical Officer Digital Assistant (CMO-DA), an artificial intelligence system for space medicine designed to support astronauts when Earth is too far away to give immediate help. Think of it as a “medical copilot” that will not replace doctors, but instead will help the crew diagnose and manage problems step-by-step using knowledge adapted specifically to space medicine.

Unlike a standard chatbot, the CMO-DA can work with multiple kinds of input. Astronauts might type or speak questions, upload vital signs, or share images from a portable ultrasound. The system then offers possible causes, highlights urgent warning signs, and suggests treatments that match the very limited supplies they have available to them. The big difference from Earth-based systems is that it’s trained with information that reflects spaceflight medical challenges, such as fluid shifts in low gravity, the increased risk of kidney stones, or how certain drugs behave differently in space.
To test its usefulness, NASA and Google have been running the assistant through structured scenarios. These use the same exam style that medical students face, called Objective Structured Clinical Examinations, where candidates are judged on how well they manage a case. The early results look promising, with the AI decision support tool giving safe, reliable advice, and it helps astronauts approach a situation more clearly under stress.

This project is part of NASA’s broader plan for Earth-Independent Medical Operations. For deep-space missions, it has long been recognised that crews need a much higher degree of autonomy, since communication with Earth may be delayed or even cut off entirely—for example, when Mars is hidden behind the Sun. A tool like the CMO-DA gives astronauts a way to stabilise and treat a patient without waiting for ground communication.
It’s important to remember that the system is meant as support and not as an authority. Ultimately, the astronauts in-situ remain the decision-makers. The assistant provides structured checklists, reminders, and treatment suggestions. It can also document everything that was done and prepare a clear report so that, once communication is restored, doctors on Earth can follow-up what happened and advise on next steps.

The future will bring new features, with researchers aiming to link the assistant to onboard sensors, wearables, and imaging devices, and to test it in Mars analogue missions on Earth. The goal is a complete medical system—crew, tools, and smart software working together to make medical autonomy on Mars a reality.
This technology, however, isn’t just for astronauts. It could also benefit people in remote communities on Earth, where medical access and connectivity are limited. In that way, a tool built for Mars missions medical support might improve healthcare for millions here at home.
NASA and Google’s project shows how AI in aerospace medicine is shifting from science fiction into practical support for space medicine—with potential benefits reaching well beyond Mars.

Microbes are generally associated with infection, and the usual response to their mere presence is to eradicate them as quickly as possible. For example, the “no-rinse soap” used during space travel mainly consist of antimicrobials, i.e. chemicals that kill microbes, with the aim to remove bacteria on the skin.
It is correct that microbes can cause disease, but it is microbes that created an environment and an atmosphere on Earth that allow plants and animals to exist. Microbes are literally everywhere, and we ourselves depend upon microbes to keep our external facing surfaces healthy and to help with the breakdown of food in our gut and production of substances that our body needs. The microbes form actual communities with thousands of species in and on us, for example the gut, respiratory and skin microbiomes, and these communities collaborate with our immune systems.

​To give an idea of their importance, data suggest that it is the pollution from antimicrobials that is the primary responsible for climate change because their impact is very broad and reduces the microbial diversity and changes the microbial balance. Similarly, studies indicate that antibiotics have long-term impact on our health, and they have been shown to increase the frequency of cancer, diabetes, asthma as well as functional impairments in children’s development, immune function, and cognition. Poor gut health, which usually means an unbalanced and low diversity microbiome, has also been associated with mental health problems including depression and anxiety as our gut microbiome is responsible for producing substances needed for normal brain function.
On the International Space Station skin issues and problems with wound healing have been reported. Microgravity and radiation have generally been assumed to be responsible for this and the fact, that “no-rinse-soap” is a cocktail of antimicrobials, has received practically no attention. Antimicrobials are traditionally used for treating wounds, but the US FDA reported in 2016 and again in 2022 that they are ineffective in treating wounds, and studies have demonstrated that antimicrobials directly impair healing and that a healthy wound microbiome is required for healing to take place. These novel conclusions banning antimicrobials in skin care and wound healing are further supported by the positive findings with a new technology, MPPT (micropore particle technology), which acts by regulating the wound microbiome without killing anything. MPPT has been able to achieve 100% wound closure rates, including in complicated wounds and in people with impaired immune function. This observation shows that approaches that support the collaboration between the microbes and the immune system can be much more effective than the traditional, old blanket-bombing approach of eradicating all microbes, which renders the skin debilitated and less resilient.

These observations are relevant to space travel, in terms of both the environment onboard and clothing, food and methods of ”washing”. Our bodies have evolved on Earth, where microbes were and are present, and our evolution has benefited from this as the microbes assist in protecting our surfaces and in delivering nutrients and critical compounds needed for our health. This dependence persists, even if we decide to leave Earth for shorter or longer periods of time. It is therefore a necessity, particularly for deep space travel, which does not permit us returning to Earth periodically to update our microbiome, to develop environments and procedures onboard that can sustain our microbial requirements.
These considerations are based on an article recently published in Frontiers in Public Health, which focuses on the role of antimicrobials in causing climate change from severely damaging the Earth’s microbiome. The impact of antimicrobials on the Earth microbiome and the microbiome inside a space station are comparable as they are both closed systems. It is consequently important to consider the essentiality of the microbial environment, when planning human life outside the Earth’s environment.

When scrolling through the endless nonsense recently that appears on Facebook, I came across a rare post of interest detailing the remarkable work of French geologist Michel Siffre, who died a year ago this Sunday (24 August 2024), aged 85 years. In 1972, Siffre conducted an extraordinary isolation experiment in which he lived alone for 180 days in a cave 440 feet underground. He had no sunlight, no clock, and no contact with any other person, having only basic supplies, a sleeping bag, and instruments for recording his activities and observations.
His aim was to study how the human mind and body behave when deprived of all natural time cues. The results of this work, now more than 50 years old, continue to be relevant for research into human endurance, circadian rhythms, and the psychological effects of extreme isolation. They are also especially relevant for human space exploration, with space agencies considering the realities of sending people to live for months, or even years, in sealed environments on the Moon or Mars.

Initially, Siffre relied on hunger and fatigue to regulate his days, but within weeks it was observed that his perception of time changed. He often believed a day had passed when nearly two had gone by. His body abandoned the 24-hour cycle, adopting a 36-hour waking period followed by 12 hours of sleep.
Scientists monitoring the experiment saw this as evidence that humans have an internal clock that can operate independently of the Sun. The changes, however, came with cognitive and psychological costs, like hallucinations, difficulty speaking, memory lapses, and a need to create artificial social interaction, such as talking to insects or to himself. By the time the experiment ended, Siffre believed only 151 days had passed, rather than the actual 180 days.

Life Without a Sunrise - Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) see 16 sunrises every Earth day. This constant cycling of light and dark is managed by strict schedules, carefully calibrated lighting systems, and oversight by mission control, ensuring that body clocks remain aligned with a 24-hour rhythm. Without such controls, circadian rhythms can rapidly drift, affecting alertness, decision-making, and even physical health.

InnovaSpace Team comment: Last week, we shared a post about the many ways people can contribute to space exploration—without ever wearing a spacesuit. This week, we’re delighted to feature a reflection from our friend and colleague Lukasz Wilczynski, founder of the European Space Foundation and creator of the European Rover Challenge.
Łukasz recently spent a week at the University of Oxford, participating in a high-level programme of The Karman Project and Oxford Space Initiative with future leaders of the global space community. His words below speak for themselves—rich in insight, humour, and a deep belief in space as a tool for positive change.

FINAL THOUGHTS
At InnovaSpace, we echo Łukasz’s sentiment: space is not a remote, elite pursuit - it’s woven into the fabric of our daily lives and our global future. It shapes how we live, how we connect, and how we look at the future.
Whether you're an engineer, artist, teacher, policymaker, or simply have a curious mind—there’s a role for you in space.
Want to get involved? Start by visiting events like the European Rover Challenge or following space organisations online.
Join in the conversation because space needs all of us!

When most people think about the type of person who will work in space, the image that springs to mind is that of an astronaut in a bulky white suit floating around outside the International Space Station! That is certainly a part of the story, however the exploration of space needs a lot more than just rocket pilots. In fact, some of the astronauts who will launch this week (July 31st 2025* - Crew-11) come from surprising backgrounds. One of them, Zena Cardman, didn’t start out flying planes or building rockets — she studied microbes in mud and explored caves and Antarctic ice looking for life in extreme environments.
Another of the astronauts, Kimiya Yui from Japan, started out in the Japanese Air Force and later trained with engineers and scientists before becoming an astronaut. Theirs and other stories like them prove that you don’t have to be a math genius or science whiz to have a future in space!
*note: launch delayed to 1st August 2025 due to weather constraints

Space Needs Everyone - Below are just a few of the surprising roles that play a huge part in exploring the cosmos:

• Writers & Communicators – NASA hires science storytellers to explain missions to the world.
• Lawyers - Space law is real! We need legal minds to navigate treaties, satellite rights, and even the ethics of space mining.
• Doctors & Biologists – Astronauts need medical support, and we need people studying how the human body changes in space, such as our very own aerospace medicine specialist Prof Thais Russomano.
• Plumbers - Plumbing is critical—someone has to make sure the water systems (and toilets!) work on the ISS and future Moon bases.
• Artists & Designers – Someone has to design mission patches, build virtual training tools, and even help plan future habitats.
• Gamers & Coders – In fact, video game skills translate well to robot control and navigation.

Whether you're into fashion, food, fitness, or filmmaking... there is room within space exploration for all of these talents and more.

India is a land of unity in diversity. Its rural and tribal corners, though brimming with curiosity and raw talent, often remain unsensitized by the conversations that shape our future, especially when it comes to space science and environmental awareness. On 14th November 2024, at Varanasi (an Indian city popular as a pilgrimage site), a quiet revolution began. LIFE-To & Beyond Foundation®, in collaboration with the Pratham Education Foundation, penned down a new chapter in the Indian space ecosystem. It was marked by a shared vision of "bringing science and space to the mainstream discussion". But this wasn't a lofty corporate pitch, but an interactive DIY science workshop on weather and climate change. This was made possible through LIFE-To & Beyond Foundation® (i.e., through our Outreach Sarabhai initiative, named after the Father of the Indian Space Program, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai [Figure 1]), when we decided to go further, deeper, and wider right into the heart of rural and tribal India. But such a dream needed legs, wheels, and fuel (both literal and metaphorical). That’s where Pratham Education Foundation entered as a key collaborator. Pratham helped bring together its grassroots strength to the table: identifying school children from rural and tribal areas, arranging transportation, and managing the logistics of setting up workshops in their Creativity club centers across India.

Thus, from the ghats of Varanasi to the sub-urbans of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh; from the arid desert regions in Dausa, Rajasthan to the naxalite-maoist affected, densely forested areas in Konta and Sukma in Chhattisgarh to the gateway to north-east India, i.e., Cooch-Behar, in West Bengal, India, it was a journey across the lengths and breadths of north, west, and eastern parts of India (Figure 2)

The theme for these workshops was Weather and Climate Change and was carried out under the name “Build your Weather Station”. Why? Because these children are not just future citizens, they're current stakeholders of a planet undergoing rapid change, mainly due to anti-environmental human activities. And what better way to learn than by engaging? Kids were introduced to DIY weather stations, built their thermometers, rain gauge, and anemometer, along with engaging demonstrations of magic in a glass of water explaining the concept of atmospheric pressure, cloud in a jar and bottle, a tornado in a bottle, and paper-origami rocket, and a climate satellite model making. All built from everyday materials to understand concepts of temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, rainfall, wind, and climate monitoring through. From crafting anemometers out of paper cups to decoding how clouds are born, the sessions turned into hands-on labs of discovery. The idea was simple: make science feel like play and not an academic work.

​Meet MRD-001: The Mars Recon Dog
As part of the StarG2025 platform, the MRD-001 tracked Mars Scout Dog was deployed for its first dual-test mission — one in an urban indoor setting, and another in the field among alpine meadows and virgin forests.

Why "StarG"?

• Star Guardians – Youth as defenders of ecosystems and the universe
• Star Generation – Representing the next wave of interstellar humans
• Star Growing – For ecological restoration and space biospheres
• Star Genesis – For future planetary transformation and space colonization

​

Learn more about Chris Yuan and his activities at LinkedIn
or contact him via ​[email protected]

Bone plays an important role as a structure that supports the body and stores calcium. It retains fracture resistance by remodelling through a balance of bone resorption and formation.
Bones are usually dense and strong enough to support your weight and absorb most kinds of impact. As you age, bones naturally lose some of their density and their ability to regrow/remodel themselves.

​In a microgravity environment, because of reduced loading stimuli, there is increased bone resorption and no change in or possibly decreased bone formation, leading to bone mass loss at a rate of about ten times that of osteoporosis. Life in the microgravity environment of space brings many changes. Loss of bone mass is particularly noticeable because it affects an astronaut’s ability to move and walk upon return to Earth’s gravity.
Human spaceflight was once a fantasy only to be found in between the pages of a novel or on movie screens, however, now it is almost a tangible reality. Humans are going to spend more time in space. The human body is intrinsically adapted to Earth’s gravity, so exposure to conditions of reduced gravity, or microgravity can cause complications in many normal bodily functions. Microgravity decreases the effort required for movement.The length of space missions—and consequently the amount of time astronauts spend in orbit—has increased since humans began exploring space. Space travellers are exposed to numerous stressors while in space.
The reduced mechanical loading of weight-bearing bones caused by microgravity (μg) leads to bone loss in humans, especially in long-term space missions. As previously mentioned, this bone loss results from increased bone resorption and either unchanged or decreased bone formation, as observed in various human studies conducted both in space and during bed rest. Microgravity causes calcium to be released from bones, which suppresses parathyroid hormone (PTH) and lowers circulating levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, although concentrations of 25-dihydroxyvitamin D remain adequate. This process reduces calcium absorption in the body.

The decrease in bone formation is associated with impaired osteoblast function and increased osteocyte apoptosis. Physical exercise using devices such as treadmills and resistive exercise equipment can help reduce the negative impact of microgravity on bones and muscles. Weight training and aerobic exercise are designed to simulate the mechanical loads normally exerted by gravity on Earth.
Proper nutrition and the use of supplements—such as vitamin D and calcium—are important to support bone health during and after a space mission. Rehabilitation programs include structured physical exercise, physical therapy, and nutritional monitoring to ensure optimal recovery. Together, these countermeasures aim to preserve musculoskeletal health in space and promote a successful transition back to Earth's gravity. Continued research is essential to refine these strategies for longer missions, such as those to the Moon or Mars.​

​Space is vast and unexplored. And in its vastness, there lie mysterious corners. Black holes are one among those less-known parts of our universe that go beyond our comprehension. In simple words, black holes are areas where spacetime is so strongly drawn due to gravitational force that nothing, literally nothing, not even light, can escape it. The very idea of a black hole was first proposed by Albert Einstein based on his General Theory of Relativity in 1915. His equations indicated that if a mass were compact enough, it would warp spacetime so much that a black hole would be created. It was even astonishing to Einstein himself, who was not so convinced initially, to accept that mass could collapse into a singularity or a point in spacetime with infinite density. He even expressed his doubts to French physicists during the 1920s, suggesting that singularities could be a defect in his own proposed theory.

​Radio astronomy, started in the 1930s when Karl Jansky discovered radio waves from the Milky Way. This discovery was pivotal in the development of our knowledge about black holes. Technology made it possible for astronomers by the 1950s to map out the sky more accurately. The Cambridge Radio Telescope and Jodrell Bank Observatory detected unusual radio sources, which were point-like objects showing unusual brightness in the radio spectrum. A breakthrough finding came in the late 1950s when radio sources such as 3C 273, a quasar in the Virgo constellation, were discovered not to have any corresponding visible objects. A quasar is an extremely luminous active galactic nucleus (AGN) powered by a supermassive black hole at the centre of a distant galaxy. Optical observation found faint, stellar counterparts with mysterious emission lines. These objects produced large amounts of radiation at varied frequencies, but no source was seen visually, except for a very faint, point-like object looking like a star at a distant place. The spectral lines, which normally signified the existence of chemical elements, were mysterious. In addition, these objects displayed quick luminosity changes in both optical and X-ray regimes.

Complex enough? Ok! To understand this, let’s use the Einstein technique. Let’s perform a thought experiment! Imagine seeing an object in the sky that suddenly changes its brightness. From the perspective of an observer on Earth, luminosity increases to its ultimate value gradually because photons from the front of the object reach earlier than those from the back. By timing how long the luminosity would take to settle, astronomers would be able to estimate the object's size—the principle of "light travel time and variability." From these observations, it was seen that while these objects were no bigger than our solar system, they contained the light of a whole galaxy, signifying an extremely high power density.